


Chocolate Hearts and Teddy Bears

by Antares



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Chocolate, Gen, Holidays, M/M, Pre-Slash, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-02-17
Updated: 2007-02-17
Packaged: 2018-04-21 06:43:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,975
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4819118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Antares/pseuds/Antares
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jack hates Valentine’s Day</p>
            </blockquote>





	Chocolate Hearts and Teddy Bears

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Schokoherzen und Teddybären](https://archiveofourown.org/works/4810259) by [Antares](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Antares/pseuds/Antares). 



> Many, many thanks to Shazz for the beta! All remaining mistakes are mine.

It was Valentine’s Day again – and Jack was very pissed with this whole red-roses-and-candy-crap. He couldn’t even escape the yearly madness at the mountain. Believe it or not, this morning Colonel Myers had asked his advice as to whether he should give his darling sweetie pie a box of milk chocolate or dark chocolate hearts! Well, Jack had answered in a way that the Colonel, if he was smart, would never ask again.

For cryin’ out loud, Jack was convinced this day had been invented by the florists and Hallmark. If there was another reason for it, he hadn’t found it yet. Once he had read a newspaper article about the sales figures for cards and flowers and he’d been green with envy. And let’s not even mention the candy sales. Very clever marketing! And that was the fact that disturbed him most – the commercialisation; that there were people making money out of feelings.

Nope, this day was nothing to him. He didn’t buy presents and he wasn’t expecting any. After his divorce he had never ever invited anybody to a candle-light dinner. And even when he had been married, Sarah had always made the reservations for a table in a restaurant. His only concession – traditions oblige – had been to buy the obligatory chocolates and red roses on his way home, always getting very angry that they were twice as expensive as usual. Thank God, he was relieved from having to deal with this responsibility any longer.

If he were a better man, he would take the whole Valentine’s hype with humour. But being snarky Jack O’Neill, he told his surroundings in no uncertain and sarcastic terms exactly what he thought about it all.

And today, Valentine’s Day had turned the table on him. At least Jack was feeling that way.

They had been scheduled for a mission – to be exact he should have fled the chocolate-and-roses invasion 42 minutes ago – but poor Daniel had been the first victim of this malicious day.

One of the female staff members from the archaeological department had received a bouquet of roses from an unknown admirer. She had put the flowers in a vase; and Daniel, immersed in a book as usual, had slipped in the puddle of water she’d left on the floor while he walked by. 

Mission on stand by, Daniel in the infirmary and out of order for at least three days. Janet had called Jack a few moments ago to give him the account of Daniel’s injuries: a sprained ankle and a contusion in his left hand. Now she was looking for someone to drive him home. Jack offered immediately until he remembered that he had no car, the truck was in the garage for new brakes.

He could hear Janet conferring with Daniel, and after a moment of whispered sentences she talked to him again. “No problem, Colonel. Daniel tells me that his car is in the parking lot. If you dare to drive Daniel’s junker – his words not mine,” she added laughingly, “could you please get the keys from his office?”

Jack grumbled. “Is there a more specific location than only ‘office’? I mean, with Daniel’s well-known organization,” Jack replied sarcastically, “some idea of co-ordinates would be nice.” Jack dreaded having to find something on Daniel’s shelves. 

“His desk, left side, bottom drawer. And if the keys aren’t there, try the book Development of Greek City States in the Eastern Mediterranean.” Janet didn’t laugh this time, but the amusement in her tone of voice was clear. 

“The Greeks? Lovely. And when I’m finished with the Greeks I can hunt down the Romans and then the Maya and so on…” Jack groused. Sighing deeply he added, “Okay. I’ll try my best. If I haven’t returned within the next two hours, send out a SAR team, okay?”

Jack heard Daniel muttering loudly in the background, but as he didn’t understand the words he hung up. With another heartfelt put upon sigh, he headed for Daniel’s office to retrieve the keys.

\----------------------------------------------------

Yep, Daniel’s office was just like always, a mess of books and papers everywhere. Okay, where to begin? Surprisingly, the book about the City States caught his eye immediately. Perhaps, the lady with the naked bosom on the cover was responsible for that. Jack leafed through the book – well, they’d had a very interesting notion of fashion at that time! The half-naked Cretans grabbed his attention for a few minutes before he remembered that he was really here for the keys and closed the book.

Jack looked around aimlessly then dropped into Daniel’s chair and opened the first drawer. Pens, scotch tape, matches, paper-clips, scissors and a hole puncher – the usual items you’d expect to find in a office drawer. But no car keys. Well that was just peachy.

On to drawer number two. Two half full water bottles rolled his way, bumping into a nearly empty box of cookies, and rolling over a strip of chewing gum. Two apples, one overripe, the other still edible and something in plastic wrap which looked ominously like a science experiment that Jack threw straight into the trash can. No keys in the junk food drawer.

Pulling open the next drawer, Jack found paper, envelopes, more pens, stamps and greeting-cards – everything you needed if you wanted to write more than just an email. Jack couldn’t remember the last time he’d written a letter. And somehow he couldn’t imagine Daniel to be big on the letter writing thing either. He pulled out a card. “Greetings from Colorado Springs”. Smirking, he wondered who Daniel had bought this card for.

He took the next card and for one second his hand froze. It was a condolence card. Grey flowers, black frame. Shit. Jack felt a lump in his throat. Of course, in Daniel’s department there were people who didn’t survive missions. And it was so like Daniel to make sure that the families received something more personal than just the official, ‘We regret to inform you,’ letter.

Sobered, Jack was closing the drawer when he spotted a card with hundreds of red hearts. He could use something a little more positive after the card with the black frame so he pulled it out.

Did it mean that Daniel had also succumbed to the Valentine’s Day horror? With a lopsided grin Jack read, “Hey, it’s Valentine’s Day!” Thanks to the ugliness of the hundreds of red hearts he didn’t immediately notice that there were two men gazing lovingly into each other’s eyes. 

But then realization dawned. Oops. Who sent Daniel a card like this? Without thinking, Jack opened the card and read the last part of the quote on the inside: … and a man has to do, what a man has to do! And now the two guys from the cover were even kissing!

For a few seconds Jack stared at the photo. A nice picture. Black and white. A rich contrast to the red hearts. And full of intimacy. Not provocative or funny as you would expect with a quote like that – but full of love.

Well those were strange thoughts! Jack shook his head. He looked once more and told himself that from a photographer’s point of view this photo was perfect: correct focal width, correct depth of sharpness, enough light, sharp contrasts. Okay, enough. He turned the card in his hand but there was no signature, nothing to indicate who might have sent this card to Daniel.

Unless … it was Daniel who wanted to send this card?

Jack let his head fall back against the headrest of the chair, scrubbing his hands cross his face. But who was this card for? Janet? He wondered, relieved that he might have found a plausible answer. Yes, this card must be for Janet as the doctor often had hinted that she liked good-looking men very much. And these men were good-looking. No doubt. Yeah, surely this card was a present for Janet, as a joke, Jack tried to convince himself. Should he take it with him so that Daniel could write it before they drove home? Yeah, he’d do that. Jack started rummaging through the drawer again searching for the matching envelope.

He didn’t find the envelope but that sure was Daniel’s handwriting! Looked like a first draft for a Valentine’s card with a lot of crossed out lines. Jack decided to take the paper with him too so Daniel wouldn’t have to re-write the whole thing.

Jack got up and searched through the papers on the desk. More red hearts. Yep, that seemed to be the envelope he was looking for. He put it on the pile with the card and the draft. Now only the car keys were mis…

Without really intending to do so, Jack had skimmed over the text on the scrap of paper and it took him a few seconds before he realized what he was reading. With an audible ‘plop’ he let himself fall back into the chair while he finally bought a clue.

“Crap!” Staring at the sheet of paper Jack read it again.

  
_…and because it is like this,_ crossed out word, _we have to talk.  
You have to know, that I,_ a lot of crossed out words, _love you.  
If you want to talk about that, _crossed out paragraph, _today would be perfect._  
We could have dinner together. I know, you don’t like Valentine’s Day, Jack,   
but I’m hoping that you’ll make an exception for me.

_From Daniel, with love._   


Oh my God! Now Valentine’s Day had bitten him in the ass! Daniel hadn’t bought the card for Janet but for him! Him!

 _Jack._ One single word and the whole meaning of the card had been turned upside down. It was no longer a joke for Janet but something very, very different! Jack rested his head on his hands and stared unseeing at the overloaded desk in front of him. He didn’t know if Daniel would ever have the courage to send this card, but he’d been serious enough to buy this card and try to write his feelings in it.

This was crazy. Not for one second did Jack doubt that every word was the truth, and nothing but the truth. Daniel wasn’t the type to play with the feelings of others. He wouldn’t send a card like this only to see the recipient – him! – fidgeting in his chair when he received it. When Daniel wrote words like this he meant them. That was fascinating and alarming at the same time.

Jack was at a loss. And overwhelmed. There was no way of denying it. Somebody had a present for him, wanted dinner with him, had bought a card for him. And this person was everything people dreamed of in a Valentine’s date: good-looking, witty, funny, stubborn, passionate, very obviously in love with him and … male. Hmm … that part could be a problem … or was it?

He opened the card once again and stared spellbound at the two men kissing. And what if that were Daniel and him? Obviously that had been Daniel’s thoughts too, when buying it. Indecisively, he turned the card in his hands. Should he talk to Daniel about this? Until now, the attraction between them was like a chimera. Until now, neither of them had crossed the line, had not taken the first step. Until now, no word had been said, no truth openly revealed. Until now … and Daniel’s card. 

Nevertheless, Daniel’s feelings for Jack were there and Daniel wanted him, with all his faults and all his peculiarities. He was loved by someone he would have called his best friend without hesitation. Someone to whom he had told things nobody else knew. Someone he could protect; someone who had protected him.

Now what the heck to do? He couldn’t let his heart decide. There were too many things to consider. There was so much at stake, DADT, their careers, their futures. How would the cost to benefit calculation look in the end? What would he or Daniel do without the Stargate program if they were found out? Or could they try to keep it secret? And the team? How would Carter and Teal’c react? Was it even possible to …?

The telephone rang and Jack was relieved to turn away from his tumbling and disturbing thoughts.

“Yeah?”

“Colonel?”

“Dr. Fraiser?” What had happened now?

“Uhm … Colonel. Daniel is very embarrassed, but a few seconds ago he found the car keys in his trousers.” It might be embarrassing for Daniel but Janet obviously thought it was pretty funny. 

“He had those keys the whole time with him?” Damn it.

“He only remembered it a few moments ago. He insists I tell you his medical condition made him forget where they were.” She laughed.

Jack sighed dramatically. “Tell our scatterbrained archaeologist, I’ll be there in a few minutes. And tell him to try to remember if he really came by car today.”

Janet passed the words on and then added smugly, “He says to tell you ‘Up yours’, sir.”

Grinning, Jack could very well imagine Daniel’s snark. The archaeologist didn’t take making mistakes very well. He hung up, his glance falling once more on the card, stirring the conflicting emotions in him. Fear and longing. What the hell should he do?

Hesitantly, he finally put the card and the envelope back into the drawer and went to the infirmary. He would wait for Daniel; see he’d take that first step. Of course, Jack realized that he was taking the coward’s way out but Daniel had been thinking about this longer than he had. It was only prudent not to rush things. Perhaps, he’d get an opportunity to test the waters in the next couple of days. Yep, that’s what he would do. But he was going to let Daniel take the initiative. Yeah, cowardly position for sure, but it was easier that way.

\----------------------------------------------

With Janet’s help they manoeuvred the archaeologist into his car. An airman followed them carrying a pile of books that Daniel had insisted he needed.

Janet even fastened the seatbelt for him and gave him a small plastic bag with his medications and the stern warning of, ‘Three times a day, don’t forget it. And take them with a lot of water. Ice your ankle and keep your hand still for a while, and to call her if there are any complications.’ Yadda, yadda, yadda … Daniel had heard her drill too many times in the past.

Both men nodded vigorously and assured her they’d be fully cooperative – only then were they allowed to leave.

“Do we have to stop on our way home and buy food?” Jack asked while taking the route to Daniel’s apartment.

“No. There’s even beer in the fridge,” Daniel announced gleefully, turning to Jack while he was speaking.

Daniel’s first thought was about beer for him? Jack was relieved. That meant he wasn’t only a sherpa for Daniel, to carry his luggage to the apartment. Daniel wanted his company and that was fine with Jack. Nevertheless, he teased, “I was speaking about solid food, Daniel.”

Grinning, Daniel reassured him. “The day before yesterday I went grocery shopping and my freezer is stuffed.” His smile died. With his hand, that wasn’t injured, he smeared at the dust that had gathered on the dashboard. His fingers left a clearly visible trace. “I’m so sorry that the mission had to be cancelled because of me. I …”

“Don’t sweat it, Daniel.” Jack waved aside the excuse. “Carter is grateful to have a bit more time to futz around in her laboratory. And it’s only postponed not cancelled.”

“But even then. I was clumsy. I didn’t see the puddle and …”

“Uh…. Daniel … wait a moment.” Jack interrupted him and knocked with his index finger against the gas indicator on the dashboard display. “Your big shopping trip didn’t happen to include fuelling the car, did it?”

“Why?”

“Look at the needle. There’s almost nothing left in the tank!” 

“Oh! I forgot to gas up the car. Right!” Daniel smacked his non injured hand against his forehead. “I totally forgot it. Well, turn right on the next street, there’s a gas station. That’s where I usually go.”

“Okie dokie.” Jack kept to the right and changed the lane. Looked like he was going to play filling station attendant. Full service for the archaeologist.

A few minutes later he was even cleaning the front window then wiping it dry again. He fooled around a bit, pulled faces and made Daniel laugh out loud. Jack was very proud with himself. He pretended to lick the front window with his tongue and Daniel rolled his eyes, still grinning madly.

When the tank was filled, Jack hung up the nozzle and went to pay the cashier.

There they were again! Nearly submerging him. Red satin hearts, candies, chocolate hearts, teddy bears, heart-shaped balloons and bouquets of red roses! Pure Valentine! All over the store. It was gross. Commercialism at it’s worst.

Hastily, Jack went to the counter to pay. He gave his credit card to the young employee. The moment she was going to put his card into the device, he said in a low voice, “Wait!” His pensive look went through the shop window to Daniel waiting in the car.

For one moment Jack’s hand hovered indecisively over the chocolate hearts on the counter. The next instant he made up his mind and chose two different brands which he knew to be Daniel’s favourites. He hesitated another second, then quickly, without further thinking, put a key chain on the chocolate box. A little stuffed bear with glasses.

Very satisfied with himself and cuddling the little bear, Jack went back to the car and his archaeologist.

Sometimes, a man has to do, what a man has to do…

\--------THE END-------

@Antares, Feburary 2007 

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Schokoherzen und Teddybären](https://archiveofourown.org/works/4810259) by [Antares](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Antares/pseuds/Antares)




End file.
